Learning to Be
by Serpens Caput
Summary: Mia. The youngest daughter of the Godfather. Her life, her love, herself.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hey all! So, I was watching The Godfather and felt strangely inspired to write out the plot bunny bouncing in my head. Not sure where it's going ... or if it's even going anywhere...but here it is! Oh, and some things to note: this is placed in modern times, they live in chicago (not a fan of las vegas...), and Michael has 5 kids (Michael Jr. Anthony, Santino, Vincent, and Mia - in order of birth)...um...i'll let you know of any other deviations as they arise :D ENJOY! :D

Chapter One

Mia Corleone was the only daughter of the Godfather, a fact she both understood and embraced. She had known who her father _really_ was since childhood, had known before her four older brothers had even become suspicious, and she had known before her mother had stopped pretending to be gaily ignorant of it all.

She would always remember the day her mother left – it was the last time she had seen Kay as her mother.

_It was two days after her fifth birthday, which had been a splendidly over-decorated event. Having heard raised voices, Mia had wandered towards the source – her father's office. She stood uncertainly outside of the room, knowing she shouldn't listen in but unable to deny that insatiable curiosity her father swore would get her killed. _

_She caught snippets – mostly her mother – and swiftly realized her mother was done feigning obliviousness. Mia had already known by then, at that tender age of five, who and what her father was – even if she didn't fully understand what it all meant. _

"_Can't keep living like this Michael!" Kay exclaimed_

_Mia crept closer to the door to hear her father's response._

"_You knew…married me."_

"_No. No, I didn't. I thought I was marrying YOU not your family," she shouted._

"_Don't…to me. I am my family."_

"_I can't do this anymore," she declared quietly, so quietly that Mia almost missed it. Her eyes widened. She heard her mother's heels clicking toward the doorway, and Mia hastily scurried down the hallway and up the stairs. She sat there, face pressed between the balustrades, as her mother stomped out._

"_I'm leaving you Michael."_

_Mia gasped softly._

"_And the kids?" her father's voice was eerily calm, the undercurrent of suppressed anger barely audible to all except those who knew him well._

"_I can't do this," she turned, and placed her hand on the front doorknob. _

"_If you leave, you're never coming back," there was a steely edge to his voice, and a promise. _

"_Why would I want to come back?" she whispered, opened the door and walked into the bright sunlight. _

_Her father had not seen her watching from behind the railing of the stairs, something she was certain of because he'd never show such emotion and weakness before her. And in that moment, watching her strong and powerful father's face crumple, she had sworn she'd never forgive Kay for doing this._

Michael Corleone had stuck to his promise. The next day he had told every guard and every member of the Family that Kay was no longer one of theirs. She was not to be allowed in the house or near the children. Ever.

But that wasn't the last time Mia had seen Kay. A few months later, her Aunt Connie had volunteered to baby-sit them for the day.

_Aunt Connie had nervous and fidgety all day. Although Mia had initially attributed it to her aunt being unsettled around five rambunctious children, as the day wore on and Connie's anxiety increased, Mia wondered what exactly it was she was up to. _

_The answer became clear soon enough._

_The doorbell rang, and Aunt Connie sprung up like a tightly coiled spring towards the front door. Mia followed her curiously, and watched as the door swung open and Kay awaited tersely behind it. The two women embraced swiftly, bound together not only by marriage, but the unspoken ties of living in this family. _

_Aunt Connie had hurriedly ushered Kay in, calling out in her high terse voice for the boys to come in, Auntie Connie had a surprise for them. _

_Her mother had smiled weakly at her then and reached forward to lift Mia into her arms. Mia shook her head at this and backed away, her hands and back against the mahogany, foyer walls as she scurried down the hall and up the stairs to the first landing. She could still see the proceedings, and her mother could see her there, sitting and watching. _

_She remembered how devastated her mother had looked then and how quickly she had buried that expression beneath a broad smile as her brothers raced into the house. Her Aunt had tsked at her, but said nothing else, knowing that it was fruitless to try to change her mind._

_Her brothers had gone readily enough, eagerly jumping into Kay's open arms and excitedly babbling at her. Well, all of them except her oldest brother, Michael. _

_He had stood uneasily by, already mature for a boy of nine, as his three younger brothers greeted their mother. But after a few tense moments of her kneeling there, arms open and eyes hopeful, and amid the insistent shouts of their Aunt, he too had reluctantly hugged her. _

_Mia had watched from the landing as the six of them happily moved into the living area and she had listened as they had merrily reacquainted themselves. She heard her brothers' bright chatter, each one enthusiastically recounting old stories, their voices overlapping at times and her mother's softly murmured responses and tinkling laughter. A small part of her – a very small part of her, she told herself firmly – wanted to jump up and join them. To go in there and sit on her mother's lap and tell her own stories as her mother soothingly stroked her hair and as she played with her mother's jewelry and pretty blonde hair – so much prettier than her own dark, black hair. _

_But she had stopped herself, because she could still see the day her mother had left, could still hear the slam of the door behind her as she deserted her children, and still see her father's heart break before her very eyes. It was the last that was the most unforgiveable. _

_She was still sitting there on the landing, when she heard Connie insist her mother leave, and she heard them shuffle reluctantly towards the back door. Her aunt's voice became more piercing and adamant, as the time for her father's arrival ticked closer and closer. But from her position, she could see the front door open even as she heard her mother's tear-ridden voice. _

_Racing down the steps, she launched herself at her father, who nimbly picked her up, his hand drawing her head close to him. She could feel him stiffen upon hearing the exchange in the other room, and she steadfastly kept her head against his shoulder and clutched him tighter. _

_He strode into the other room, and all sound died down. Mia lifted her head and saw her mother standing outside the door, her brother Vincent a few feet in front of her. Her father said nothing and shut the door in her mother's teary, shocked face. _

_Wordlessly, he had stalked back to his office, still carrying her, and Aunt Connie had followed behind him, frantically attempting to justify herself. He had pivoted at the door, stared coldly at her until she stopped gibbering, and closed the door. Settling himself in the large, squashy chair behind his desk, he finally breathed a heavy sigh, and Mia snuggled closer to him._

_They sat in silence for the rest of the afternoon. _

Mia never knew what transpired between her father and Aunt Connie after that day. Needless to say, she was no longer a frequent visitor (not that she ever really was) to the house, and clearly was never trusted with the children again.

But, she and her father had only grown closer since that day. She had always been precious to him, being his only daughter in a house full of men and boys, but something changed that day when she chose him over Kay, something she still couldn't put her finger on.

Yet, despite their closeness – or perhaps because of it – Mia had always felt the need to prove herself to him, that she was as smart as the boys, as brave, as fun, as strong, as _good_.

And that was exactly what she was going to do today, she nodded resolutely to herself in the mirror, shrugging off those old memories. She straightened her exquisitely-tailored suit jacket, adjusted her blouse, and smoothed out her skirt before smiling broadly in the mirror.

Perfect.

Mia hurried down the stairs and stopped at the front door, calling out to her father, "Daddy, I'm going out."

"Wait."

She grinned to herself as her father walked out of his office. "Where are you going?"

"To work," she rolled her eyes, _where else would she be going in a suit for Christ's sake?_

"Don't roll your eyes at me. And since when do you work?"

"I told you yesterday!" she protested indignantly.

He furrowed his brow.

"You weren't listening to me, were you?" she accused.

"Yes, I was. Yesterday you said you were looking for work."

"Yeah, so today I'm going to work."

"All right. Have fun."

"Aren't you going to ask me _where_ I'm going to work?"

"No."

"Fine. I'll tell you anyway. I'm working at a strip club," she stifled a laugh as she watched a few guys that worked for her father gape. He, of course, didn't blink.

"Well have fun," he turned to leave.

Mia pouted.

"Nice daddy. Really? You don't care if I work at a strip club?"

He turned back to her, "Of course I care sweetie. But if you really want to work at a strip club, who am I to stop you?"

"Mean," she pouted again.

He sighed. "You win. Where are you working?"

"At the Chicago Tribune!" she grinned excitedly.

"Really?" he asked her curiously, his full attention back on her.

"Yes!"

"Congratulations honey," he smiled, a rarity which she reveled in, and hugged her tightly.

"Thanks daddy. And bye, I'll see you tonight," she opened the door and paused. "Oh and I'm glad you don't mind me working at a strip club because a guy offered me a modeling gig. Bye," she chirped.

"Funny," he called after her.

"I'm glad you think so, because I'm not joking," she yelled back as she got into sixteenth-birthday gift, a gorgeous black Miata.

"We'll talk about this when you get home," he said sternly.

"Whatever you say Daddy," she grinned as the car revved to life, and then immediately cranked up the music.

"Mia," he called out warningly.

She rolled her eyes, and obligingly turned it down a little. "Spoil sport," she muttered.

"I heard that."

"Good," she yelled as she rolled out of the driveway and through the gates of the estate, waving spastically to Jamie in the booth who made a face in response.

**

"My daughter. Working at a newspaper," Michael marveled to himself as he returned to his office. He shut the door securely behind him and sat down at his desk.

Reclining back, he thought about his youngest child. Although he knew that parents were supposed to love their children equally, and he did love all his children, he knew that his only daughter would always hold a special place in his heart.

She was so much like him.

And so completely different.

Michael was a hard man, the marines and years of running a crime family had guaranteed that but Mia… Mia had all of his strength without any of his brutality. She had his will, his drive, his sense of obligation, and his intelligence but none of his coldness, his ruthlessness. God knows she wasn't perfect. Prone to selfishness more than selflessness, flights of fancy, and narcissism, Mia was far from perfect. But in this life of darkness and sin, she was undeniably good.

She had grown up well, was a fiercely independent and capable girl, _woman_, he corrected himself, despite his laxness with her. He could never be as hard on her as he was with his sons, and was well aware that he spoiled her – _not that it seemed to have hurt her any_, he pondered. Today, Mia had proven just how independent – managing to find a respectable job within a day, without any subtle nudging and string pulling on his part.

There were many times when he had wished she had been born a boy, but those thoughts were always quickly dismissed. Mia was too bright, too kind, too ambitious, and too _good_ for the life he lived. It was better this way, better that she would never need to worry about her dreams being stymied by the Family – _the way mine were_, he thought unwittingly.

But that wasn't fair. His father had never wanted this life for him either, but it seemed fate and circumstance had conspired against him, and things were as they were. Shaking his head, he turned his attention back to his desk.

There was no use thinking of things that could never be.

A/N: Read and review? Please? Is this worth continuing?....? :/


	2. Chapter 2

"I'm HOMME," Mia called as sauntered through the front hall. Glowering slightly at the complete lack of response, she glanced about as she made her way to her father's office—which was closed. _Damn, _she swore mentally, she was bursting to tell someone about her perfect first day. She stared at the closed mahogany door for a moment longer, willing it to open, before sighing deeply in resignation. _God knows how long whatever he's doing's going to take. I wonder if any of my brothers are here_…

With renewed vigor, she wandered about the house looking for her erstwhile brothers. Mike was home from Dartmouth, taking after her father not only in name but alma mater as well, but there was a definite possibility he was in his father's office. _Which isn't fair AT ALL_, she thought mutinously to herself. She took a deep breath, and stopped her train of thought. There was no use getting all worked up over this. Her father had already proven he wasn't going to budge on the issue, despite her best pouts, arguments, and temper tantrums.

Mia looked into the living room, and gave a quick wave to the couple of men scattered about the room. She smiled brightly at her father's men, and nodded respectfully to the few others she knew were from the Vitalia Family.

_Hmm, so Mike's out. Tony? He's back from Northwestern, so he's probably here somewhere. Sonny…doubtful, probably out on a date or something. That leaves Vince who's…_she checked her cell for the time _at tennis or basketball or whatever…and that leaves no one, _she groaned. _No one at her house, but outside…_she grinned at the thought.

Her best friends were still carless, but she could definitely go to them. Mia had only turned sixteen last week and on that bright, June 2nd morning her father had taken her out first thing to pick out her birthday car. Having a car, while an amazing freedom, was a freedom she was still getting used to and she tended to forget that she now had the option of driving out.

_Cady's in China for the summer, Sam's on vacation for the week, and Emma's working_, she realized slowly,_ Oh! But Tom! Tom's here._ Pulling out her cell, she clicked 8-6 (T-o) and tapped her foot impatiently as the phone rang.

"Hello?" his deep voice muttered drowsily, still scratchy with sleep.

"Tommy!" she cheered. "Oh, I'm sorry, did I wake you?"

"Oh, hey whats up?" he yawned here, "And no, I just fell asleep reading."

"You know that counts as waking you up, right?"

She smiled to herself, she could almost hear him shrug in response, "It doesn't count when I'm not supposed to be sleeping."

"Did you not sleep last night or something? It's only five, a little early for even a grandpa like you to need a nap," she teased.

"It was just a boring book." Mia pouted to herself when he ignored her little barb

"What were you reading? And why?"

"Nothing interesting."

She blinked, and said accusingly, "You were reading a textbook!"

"Maybe."

"HA. I knew it. You're such a nerd. School's over buddy."

"I was just looking at some of my summer work," he protested defensively.

"Nerd."

"Said the pot."

"Are you calling me round?"

"If the dress doesn't fit…"

She gasped, "Jerk."

He laughed, "I'm just kidding. So what's up?"

"You're lucky I'm in such a good mood today, or I'd kick your butt."

"Psh, what's new?"

"Oh, nice, make me sound like a violent crazy woman."

"You said it, not me."

"TOM!"

"Relax. You know I don't mean it. 'Sides, if you don't want to be crazy violent lady, you could just stop being so violent, though you really can't fix the crazy part…" he mused.

"TOM!"

"Okay. Okay. So, seriously, what's up?"

"I don't wanna tell you over the phone. It's too exciting and needs hand gestures and facial expressions and everything to be appropriately interesting!"

"Okay…" he said slowly.

"So, wanna go for a ride in my pretty new car? His name is Marc, and he's very very pretty. Oo, and we can go get gelato. I'm in the mood for some gelato," she finished cheerfully.

"Can't. I swore I'd never get in a car when you're driving," he jibbed. "Wait, did you _name_ your car?" he asked incredulously.

"Hey, I resent that. I'm not a bad driver!"

"Tell that to the people on the sidewalk," he muttered.

"TOM! That's a lie! I drive on the _street_. _Street_," she stressed. "And of course I named my car. What else am I supposed to call it?"

"Um. Car?"

"But that's boring," she said petulantly.

"Well, sure, it's much more interesting to say 'Let's go for a ride on Marc,'" he snickered, "but far less appropriate."

"HEY! Stop making my car dirty. And it'd be "in"…" she trailed off. "Um, I rescind that last comment."

Tom cracked up hysterically.

"TOM!"

"Sorry," he said before cracking up again.

She pouted as she waited for him to finish laughing, unsuccessfully trying to squash a smile.

"Come on, you gotta admit that was funny. I bet you smiled."

"Did not."

"Liar."

"I didn't!"

"Sure."

"Fine, I did. Happy?"

"Ecstatic."

"So? We gonna go or not?"

"Oh, right. Sorry, I would but my family's going out for dinner in a couple of minutes."

"Tom," she wailed.

"Sorry!"

"No, it's okay," she said reluctantly. "I'll just tell you later. Have fun at dinner."

"Thanks. We'll hang out tomorrow or something."

"Okay. Bye."

"Bye," he said before hanging up.

Mia sighed, and plopped herself onto the sofa in the library. She jumped at a knock a moment later. Whirling about, she relaxed a bit upon seeing Danny Vitalia standing hesitantly in the doorway.

Danny was the oldest son of the Vitalia Family. Tall and darkly handsome, he fit the term "silent and brooding" to a T. Twenty years old, he was the same age as Michael, and they had all grown up together although not quite in the conventional sense. They had certainly never had play dates, because neither family would have trusted the other with their treasured children, but they had spent their childhoods around each other. Attending similar functions and playing with each other, they had formed tenuous friendships as their fathers conducted business behind closed doors.

"God Danny, you scared me," she said with relieved sigh and turned back around.

"Hi Mia," he greeted softly.

"Hi Danny," she replied, settling herself more comfortably on the beige, suede sofa. A moment later, after hearing no movement, she threw back at him, "Well? Are you just going to stand there or come sit here with me?"

"Wasn't sure if you wanted me to," he responded, still not budging from his spot.

She rolled her eyes and patted the spot next to her, "Just sit down, will ya?"

Moving so quietly she probably wouldn't have heard if she hadn't been listening for him, he slipped over and sat down beside her. "You sound sad," he remarked.

She turned to face him, "I'm not sad."

"Okay."

"Just a little disappointed," she clarified, not really sure why she felt the need.

"Why?" he asked, staring intently at her.

She fidgeted and broke his gaze. _God, his eyes are so blue_. Drawing absently in the soft suede, she shrugged, "I had my first day of work today."

"Oh."

"No, it was a good day," she hastily explained. "A really good first day, and I was so excited when I came home but everyone's busy and all my friends are gone or doing stuff and," she paused and embarrassedly swiped at her doodle, "wow, I sound like a baby. Sor-"

He interrupted her, placing a finger against her lips. "Shh. Tell me."

Blinking, she looked up and into his eyes, a smile slowly spreading across her face. "Okay. You sure you want to hear this?"

Danny nodded.

"Well, I got this amazing internship at the Chicago Tribune and…"

A/N: Read and review? PLEASE? :D :D


	3. Chapter 3

"Mia, are you in here?" her father called into the library. "Oh, hello Daniel. Have you seen," he trailed off upon seeing his daughter's head raise into sight, her hair rumpled and eyes bleary with what he hoped was sleep. "Mia."

"Don Corleone, I," a sharp look from her father silenced him.

"Hi daddy," Mia yawned, rubbing at her eyes.

"Mia."

"Hmm?" she responded distractedly, as she ran a hand through her hair. Finding it still up in a ponytail, she reached back and shook it loose.

Michael watched as Danny became distracted by Mia's actions. Danny's eyes were riveted as she combed her hand through her hair. "What're you doing?" Michael asked, noting as Danny's focus immediately snapped back to him.

"Oh! I was telling Danny all about my day," she beamed.

"Really."

"Mmhmm. And then we just kept talking and I guess we fell asleep."

"Huh. Mia, why don't you go up and get ready for dinner."

"Is it seven already?" she said in surprise, peeking down at her watch.

"Yes."

"Okay," she agreed with a shrug. "It was great seeing you again Danny," she said, reaching up to give him a hug. "Thanks for listening. We'll have to talk more often."

"It was good to see you too. I'll give you a call later about Friday," he said, standing up as she did.

"Excellent. Bye!" she waved as she bounced out of the room.

"Bye."

The silence stretched out between the two men left in the room, each standing and staring at each other. Danny broke the quiet first, "Don Corleone, I have nothing but the best intentions towards your daughter and I'm very sorry that we fell asleep."

"You didn't look very asleep to me," Michael remarked idly.

"I.." he stammered uncomfortably.

"I don't want you to have _any_ intentions towards my daughter. And I don't want to see today's events repeated. Is that clear?"

"I'm sorry, Don Corleone, about today, but I can't agree to that," Danny said firmly.

Michael raised an eyebrow at this, "You don't have a say in the matter."

Danny stared straight at him, but said nothing in response.

"Your father has already returned home, perhaps you should do the same."

"Yes, sir." Danny nodded, and Michael rubbed his face tiredly once he was gone.

This was going to be a long night.

**

"Hi daddy," Mia greeted, giving him a quick peck on the cheek before flouncing into her customary seat to the right of him. "How was your meeting?"

"It was good."

"Well, that's good," she replied vaguely as she placed her napkin on her lap, "Why wasn't Danny in the meeting?"

Her father's eyes narrowed a bit, "Because I didn't wish him to be."

"Was Mike in the meeting?"

"Yes, he was."

"Oh. Why wasn't I-"

"Mia," her father said warningly, setting down his silverware.

She looked away from him and she dimly noticed her brothers had fallen silent. Mechanically, she brought a forkful of food to her mouth and chewed.

Her father sighed. "Mia."

"It's fine. Whatever."

He nodded, not really believing her, but refusing to begin the argument anew, "So how was your first day?"

"Okay."

"Just okay?"

Mia sighed; she knew she couldn't stay mad at her father. "It was really good, actually. My boss is bit of a jerk, but everyone else was really nice to me. It was so much fun and so exciting being right there in a newsroom."

"Like, oh my gosh, like it was so fun," Sonny mocked, and her brothers laughed, lightening the mood.

She frowned at him, "It's bad enough you spend a lot of time around bimbos, but, really, do you have to start talking like them too?" Mike snorted, and Sonny glared at her.

Smiling innocently, she stuck her tongue out at him.

"Real mature," Sonny replied.

"I thought so," she tossed back genially.

Michael rolled his eyes at their antics, "What did they have you do?"

"Oh! I got a spot in the Tempo section, which was my first choice. Sadly, I didn't get to do much, just running errands and getting coffee but I got to meet a bunch of the writers that were there including," she paused dramatically, "Jordan Santin!"

Seeing no dawning looks of comprehension, she pouted. "Come on, the writer I'm always talking about? All the articles I made you read?" Huffing, she said sarcastically, "Nice to know you guys have been paying attention to me. At least Danny knew who I was talking about."

"Danny was here?" Tony asked interestedly.

"Yeah, and _he_ actually wanted to listen to my story, unlike my so-called family."

"Probably more like you cornered him," Vince mumbled.

"I did not!"

"Okay."

"I didn't!"

Michael interrupted them, "Enough. Mia, why don't you continue with your story?"

"Right. So I met Jordan and he's _really_ nice. He even offered to look at some of my work and said if it's any good he'd be willing to co-write a piece with me!" she squealed happily.

"That's very nice of him," Michael remarked, silently making a note to check up on this _Jordan_ character.

"I know! He offered to show me the ropes and everything next week," she grinned smugly.

"I'm glad your first day went so well," Michael smiled.

"Thanks. Me too!"

Vince waved dismissively, "Great. So how's Danny? Do you think he has time to teach me some of his basketball tricks?"

Mia pouted. "Oh, thanks, don't I feel special?"

"What?" Vince asked obliviously, "It's not like you can play basketball."

She rolled her eyes. "Danny's fine. And I don't know, I'll ask him on Friday. Happy?"

"Why Friday?" Sonny asked.

"Because that's the next time I'll see him," she said slowly, as if she were speaking to a not-so-bright child.

Sonny glowered at her, "Why are you seeing him anyway?"

"He's taking me to a Maroon 5 concert as a sort of belated birthday gift. Backstage and everything," she smirked. "Which is more than I can say for your _gift_."

"Hey. It was a good card," Sonny retorted defensively.

"It had a cat on it. And you wrote 'Happy B-Day.' No name, not even the full word!" she threw back.

"I-"

"I don't recall you mentioning this to me," Michael interrupted with a frown.

"Well, he just asked me today Daddy," she protested. "And I was going to, I swear, 'sides you know now."

"I don't think I want you going to a concert, alone with him, especially not after what I saw this afternoon," he said grimly.

"What happened?" Mike inquired.

Mia blinked, and shook off his question. "It was nothing. We just fell asleep. And daddy," she whined, "why can't I go?"

"You fell asleep with him?" her brothers exclaimed as one.

Jumping back a bit, she stared at the four of them, "That was weird."

"Did he try anything?" Sonny demanded menacingly, her other brothers staring intently at her.

"What? No, of course not."

"You're sure?" Vince insisted.

"Yes, I'm _sure_," she said forcefully.

"I think we should have a talk with him," Tony said turning to the rest of them and the other three nodded in agreement.

"What? Stop it you guys!" she said panicked by their plotting. "Guys? Come on, stop it! It's Danny, for Christ's sake."

"Exactly," Mike said severely.

"What the hell does that mean?" she challenged.

The four of them looked at each other, but said nothing.

She rolled her eyes and turned toward her father and said pleadingly, "Daddy, tell them to stop. It's not like anything happened. And it's _Danny_, he's a nice guy!"

"I don't like the idea of you going out with him," her father responded.

"Daddy!"

"Mia, we just don't want to see you get hurt," Mike said gently, placing a calming hand on her arm.

"I'm not going to get hurt!" she protested. "And it's just a concert."

"Well, he's got a bit of a reputation," Sonny admitted reluctantly.

Mia scoffed. "So do you."

"Yeah, which is _precisely_ why I don't want you going out with him!" he exclaimed.

"Daddy, this isn't fair," she wailed. "He hasn't done anything but be a perfect gentleman."

"I'll think about it," Michael responded.

"Daddy, you've never forbidden any of them from going anywhere," she said indignantly.

He raised an eyebrow, "I said I'd think about it, or would you like a decision now?"

She pouted and reluctantly conceded, "Fine."

A/N: Thanks all for the review!! PLEASE KEEP REVIEWING! :D :D


	4. Chapter 4

Collapsing heavily in bed, Mia groaned. _What an agitating night_. While it was nice to know all the men in her life cared so much about her, she had to admit that appreciation had been strongly tried tonight.

_God, I know they're just being overprotective and all, but was it _really_ necessary for them ALL to gang up against me? And come on, it's _Danny!_ He's one of the few legitimately nice guys I know, and reputation or not, I doubt he'd ever try to take advantage of me._ She sighed again. _Besides, it's not like I can't take care of myself. I'm not a moron for Christ's sake. _

Still annoyed from the whole debacle at dinner, Mia had grudgingly agreed to talk with her father about the entire matter.

_Mia sprawled comfortably on the leather couch in her father's office, while he sat down in the large armchair behind his desk. _

"_Mia, I know you think I'm being unfair but try and understand where I'm coming from," he began._

"_Daddy, I understand. I don't like it, but I understand. I just feel like you hold me to a different standard than you do the boys, which I _really_ don't like," she insisted._

"_I know I do," he admitted, "but you're my baby girl and I don't want to see you get hurt."_

"_I can take care of myself."_

"_Yes. You can. And you've proven that, but I couldn't stand it if you got hurt when I could have prevented it."_

"_Danny's not going to hurt me, I _know _he won't. And it's not like we're even dating, anyway."_

"_That's why I'm so hesitant to let you go out with him. He's significantly older than you, not to mention...I don't want you two dating," he left the rest unsaid._

_Mia sighed. She had expected this, well, actually she had expected a far more severe reaction and was ready with an offer she _knew_ he couldn't refuse. "Okay."_

"_Okay?"_

"_Okay. I'll tell him I want us to be friends first, and we'll just hang out. No dating. And if he can't deal with that then clearly he wouldn't have been a good boyfriend. But," she paused, "but, if at the end of the summer we both want to be more than friends, will you give me your blessing?"_

_Michael stopped, stunned by her maturity, and said, "Yes. If, at the end of the summer, I've seen him treating you appropriately and you're both still interested," he drew in a deep breath, "then you may date him. But, understand this, I will always be uncomfortable with the idea of you dating him."_

_She smiled, "I know daddy. And I understand." _

"_Good. Now about what I saw in the library."_

"_Nothing happened," she interrupted._

"_I found you sleeping on him. Please tell me that is not a common occurrence in your life."_

"_He's my friend. And I didn't mean to." _

"_In any case, that's not the issue at hand. You're growing up into a lovely, young lady and in this world you must be careful of how you behave."_

_Mia blushed, "But I've never-"_

"_And I'm glad to hear it," he interrupted gently. "But, I don't want anyone talking about you in anything but positive manner. Alright?"_

_She nodded._

"_Good. Now, there's one last matter. I realize that you would like to be more involved in the business, but I'm afraid I must insist that you discontinue your attempts to persuade me otherwise," he held up a hand to halt her protests, "I don't want you drawn into any of this," he waved loosely at his office. _

_For a moment, she simply stared at him before saying calmly, "I'll respect your wishes. However, I want to say one last thing."_

_He nodded his agreement._

"_I was born into 'this' and nothing you say or do will change that. 'This' is who we are. But I will stay out of it, until you tell me otherwise."_

"_Thank you."_

_Mia stood up to leave, and he said faintly, "You're more than this."_

"_I am my family," she echoed and carefully shut the door behind her._

_Michael stared at the closed door._


	5. Chapter 5

Friday afternoon shone bright and clear. It was an ideal summer day, complete with warm breezes and fluttering branches. Her father had eventually acquiesced, allowing her to go on her non-date with Danny on the single stipulation that three of her father's men watch out for her from a distance. Mia wrinkled her nose at the thought of chaperones, even if they weren't right there next to her, and the competing images of Amish youths and creepy stalkers arose unwittingly in her mind. She knew, however, that her father wouldn't budge from this requirement and so after a few half-hearted protests she had accepted her bodyguard escorts.

Breathing in deeply, she stepped out of the shadow of the newspaper building and into the warm, late-day sun. It was four o'clock, and her work day and first work week was officially at an end. She had a couple of hours until Danny was due to pick her up for dinner and the concert, and she impulsively decided to take a nap.

If there was one thing in the world that she loved, it was a good afternoon nap. There was something so luxuriously _right_ about sleeping before the sun had made its westward descent. She hummed contentedly to herself as she pulled in front of her house, and smoothly shut off the engine and stepped out of the car.

A few moments later she slid into bed, yawning deeply.

_Mmm. I'll wake up at five-thirty, that gives me a whole hour to get ready. Yeah, five-thirty_, she thought hazily as she drifted to sleep.

Mia awoke to the persistent knocking of some evil person. "Go way, sleepin," she mumbled, pulling her blanket over her head. She froze and her eyes snapped open.

"Oh my god," she said frantically, throwing herself out of bed and wrenching the door open. "What time," the words died on her lips as she found herself face-to-face with an immaculately put-together Danny. A pair of light-wash Guess jeans, with a DKNY tee shirt and black sports jacket thrown over it.

He looks… _like sex on legs_, her mind helpfully suggested.

She blushed at the thought and then the realization of what _she_ was wearing. Pink pajama shorts with one of her brother's old ratty old t-shirts, and hair less up than down after being slept on.

"It's six-thirty," he supplied good-naturedly, his eyes dancing with muffled laughter.

"Oh my god, Danny. I'm _so _sorry. I had just planned on taking a short nap after work but I must have forgotten to set an alarm and oh my god I should stop talking and change. I'll be right back," she promised, shutting the door before he had a chance to respond.

Mia leaned heavily against the door and groaned. She took a deep breath and hurried toward her closet, pulling out her favorite pair of boot cut, dark-wash jeans before pawing through her clothes. _A top. Need a top, and A-HA_, she grinned as she yanked a cute, pseudo-dressy white top from a hanger. It was a bit more revealing than she tended toward, but with a crocheted, black-lace sweater that stopped just under her breasts would make it perfect for a first date.

_Except it's not_, she reminded herself gently. She found the sweater, grabbed a pair of black stilettos of reasonable height, and her purse and jerked open the door. Danny was leaning comfortably on the wall to the right of her room, and he stood up slowly and smiled approvingly.

"You look amazing."

She moved to run her hand through her hair and realized, to her horror, it was still in its messy disarray. "See, now I know you're just saying that because my hair looks terrible." Mia tugged the hair band out of her hair and shook it out, thanking her lucky stars for her manageable hair.

"I like it," he laughed. "You look cute, all rumpled and freshly woken up."

"Thanks," she replied dryly.

"No, I mean it!" he protested, stopping her just as she was about to walk down the stairs. "You always look beautiful," he said sincerely, looking her deep in the eyes. "Always."

Mia blushed and turned away, stepping down the first stair as she said, "Thanks."

"Okay," Danny bounded after her, slinging an arm around her shoulders, "So where do you want to go to dinner?"

"We can go anywhere I want?" she said mischievously.

"Yup. Wherever you would like," he agreed easily.

"Paris!"

He chuckled, "We can do that, if you really want, but I don't think we'll make it back for the concert."

"Well, in that case," she paused at the last step, "I have no idea."

Danny pulled open the front door for her and bowed grandiosely, "Then it's very lucky I have three options for you."

"Really?" she giggled as she slipped her stilettos on. "Oh, I'm leaving!" she called into the hallway before stepping out of the door. "So, tell me what my options are."

"We can go to Moto, Everest, or Tru," he said casually as he opened the door to his silver Aston Martin.

"Thank you," she slipped into the soft, leather seat. "And that's funny," she rolled her eyes, "We wouldn't be underdressed _at all_. So what are the real options?"

"Those are the real options."

Mia blinked. "You're kidding."

"No, I'm really not," he looked curiously over at her.

"And you have reservations at all three of those places?" she asked incredulously.

"Yes."

"But we're not dressed for it."

He shrugged, "They won't care."

There was a beat of silence before she grinned infectiously. "No," she said slowly, "I suppose they won't. Let's do it," she laughed.

Danny felt his face breaking into an identical smile, "Which one?"

"Moto," she decided. "What's more fun than magnetic silverware?"

"Moto, it is," Danny declared as he revved the engine and rolled through the gates.

**

Mia and Danny chatted effortlessly as their tenth, and final, course arrived. It had been so easy with him, with none of the awkward silences that often smothered first dates. _Non-date_, she repeated to herself.

Admittedly, the several conversations they'd had in the days past had helped immensely in lessening that initial discomfort – not that the oversleeping, being seen in her pajamas had helped – but, it was more than that, because everything just _meshed_.

She grinned as he speared the strawberry slice on his dessert and held it tantalizingly in front of her, and she agreeably opened her mouth and let him feed it to her. Mia could see how easy it was to be dazzled by him. For most girls, it'd probably be his fancy car and fancier restaurants. But Mia was used that part of this life, and was only faintly impressed by it.

What was far more stunning was how much he cared and how deeply he listened. The way he remembered that she loved Maroon 5, even though she hadn't mentioned it since god knows when; or that she loved strawberries, which he was accommodatingly feeding her; or that she hated bananas, which he had cutely stolen from her plate; or just the way he listened, like she was the most important person in the world, like she was saying the most important things in the world.

It was overwhelming and intoxicating.

A perfect, cream rosebud appeared before her face, and she stared askance at him.

He just smiled a gorgeous, half-smile.

Yes, it wasn't hard to see at all how he got his reputation.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Happy Halloween! Thanks to all my readers!! A special thanks goes out to Sharpie-Marker1101 and Apollo06 for the lovely reviews and continued support! Enjoy!

Dancing in a way that would probably horrify her father, Mia grinned as she felt his hands brush against her arms before settling on her hips. She swayed comfortably against him, her back pressed against his front, and he crooned the lyrics blasting through the sound system into her ear. His breath tickled her ear, and she shivered delightedly.

The last strains of "Make Me Wonder" faded away and they both beamed at each other before joining in on the deafening applause. Adam Levine, standing not more than twenty feet away from her, seamlessly slipped into the next song, "Goodnight, Goodnight."

Mia smiled, and draped her arms around Danny's neck, and they slow danced to the soft ballad. His arms encircled her waist, drawing her closer to him, and she rested her head against his chest. She could feel his heart beating, and knew he could feel hers too, and she loved the intimacy of that simple feeling.

The song drew to an end, and she grudgingly parted from him. And laughed as he swept her back into his arms, his arms again slipping around her from behind as he gently laid his head against her shoulder. She turned around in his grasp and looked up at him, raising her eyebrow curiously.

Behind her, Maroon 5 was thanking the audience and making their exit from the stage. The crowd pulsed around them, some leaving, others still reveling.

He leaned down and kissed her nose softly, "I wasn't ready to let you go."

Heart flutter, she tried to keep her voice steady as she replied, "That's a good line."

"It's not a line."

"Good," she got on her tiptoes and kissed him on the nose, "Because I don't fall for lines."

She was gratified to see a look of shock flutter across his face before he smiled heart-meltingly at her. Bending down, his face breathtakingly close to hers, he whispered, "Ready to go meet the band?"

Mia blinked. And blinked again. If he had kissed her then, she knew she wouldn't have protested, just as she knew that for as much as she called this a "non-date" in her mind, it didn't make it true.

Pushing him playfully, she nodded – still a little dazed. His arms moved away from her waist, and he took her hand in his. "Then let's go."


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Aww thanks **LBF**! And a special thanks to you **Sharpie-Marker1101** for your continued reviews! :D :D :D You guys, and all of my readers!, are fantastic! :D :D

--

Adam smiled at her, "It was great meeting you. We're going to head back to the hotel now, do you want to join us and hang out for a while?"

Mia paused – more than a little taken aback – before responding warmly. "We'd love to," she said as she slipped an arm around Danny.

"Great, we're at the Plaza. Just tell them you're here to see Mr. Bambi and they'll take you straight up."

She raised an eyebrow at the name, and laughed when he blushed slightly. "We like Disney characters," he answered her unspoken question.

"But _Bambi?"_

"Bambi's the best of them all," Jesse asserted.

"Well, I think Mulan kicks Bambi's butt," she ribbed playfully.

"What?" Jesse gasped dramatically. "That's blasphemy, that is."

James stepped in front of Jesse and rolled his eyes, "Ignore him. He's a bit nutters about Bambi." He winked and mock-whispered, "It's a little bit of an abnormal fascination actually…"

"It's Bambi!" Jesse countered, shoving him to the right and stepping forward. "And Mulan would only win if she had her little sword thingie. Unarmed? Bambi would totally win."

"Right. A deer could take on one of the greatest female warriors in history?" Mia scoffed.

"Key word being female," Jesse deadpanned.

Mia gasped, and pouted when the rest of the band burst into laughter.

"He's just kidding," Adam reassured her.

"I knew that," she flushed.

"Sure," Jesse laughed.

"Jerk."

"And damn proud of it," Jesse retorted.

Mia couldn't help but laugh at that. She looked up at Danny who had been surprisingly quiet throughout the whole exchange and nudged him lightly. Startled, he jerked a bit before glancing down at her. He smiled crookedly in response to her questioning look and shook his head slightly. She nodded, and turned back to the conversation.

"And how many times have you seen Bambi?" Mickey prodded.

"Not that many," Jesse argued.

"If not that many is twenty times," Matt muttered.

"I have not!"

"You've already made us watch it like ten times," James exclaimed.

Adam sighed as the squabbling became more heated, "Really guys? You're going to argue about Bambi? Here?"

The four band members ceased, and reddened at the realization that Mia and Danny – well, Mia at any rate – were watching amusedly. They all turned and glared at Jesse.

"What?" he said defensively, "It's not my fault! She challenged Bambi's honor."

Mia smiled innocently at the band, and stuck her tongue out childishly at Jesse when the rest of the band turned away.

He narrowed his eyes and glared at her.

She smirked.

The four other members of the band were walking away to finish packing up their instruments, a fact Jesse was painfully oblivious too. Mia waited until they were out of sight before remarking idly, "I think you've been ditched."

Jesse huffed, "They'd never," he whirled around and gaped soundlessly. "What…they…"

She cracked up hysterically at his confused expression.

"What'd you do with them?" he said accusingly.

Holding her hand up, she laughed harder, "I…" she took a deep breath, and calmed herself. "I ate them," she answered seriously.

Jesse paused. "You…" he snorted. "Yum," he grinned.

Mia waggled her eyebrows. "Yum, indeed."

He chuckled deeply and cocked his head before saying mischievously, "You think they're done packing my stuff, yet?"

"Nice."

"I know," he said smugly.

"You know they'll probably leave without you."

"They would not," he said indignantly.

"If you say so."

"They wouldn't!"

"Okay."

He blinked. "Damn, they probably would," he realized slowly. "Damn," he muttered as he turned to hurry away. Stopping suddenly, he asked, "I'll see you at the hotel?"

"Yeah, probably," she slipped her hand into Danny's.

"Cool. We'll see you later then," he waved before running after his band members.

Mia looked up at Danny. "Hi."

"Hi."

"You're awfully quiet."

He slipped an arm around her shoulder. "Not much to say."

"We don't have to go over to the Plaza. We could just go out and grab some ice cream," she offered.

"Or we could do both," he returned with an easy smile .

"You sure?"

"Of course. So what kind of ice cream were you thinking?" he asked, pulling her closer to him.

"Red Mango!"

"Okay," he grinned widely down at her. "Whatever you want."

**

"Mmm," she sighed around her frozen yogurt. "God, this stuff is good," she mumbled as she chewed contentedly on a strawberry.

"How is this different from any other ice cream?" he asked again.

"It's not ice cream!" she cried plaintively.

"I dunno…"

Mia pouted. "You're just screwing with me now."

"Maybe a little," he grinned.

"Mean."

"Would you have me any other way?" he joked.

"No. No, I wouldn't," she replied seriously.

"Good, then you won't mind if I steal a bite."

"What?" Mia protested, yanking her yogurt away from his searching spoon, "I retract my previous answer."

He frowned in mock-outrage and suddenly his hands were tickling her sides.

"Mercy," she gasped. "Mercy!"

Danny pulled her into his arms, and murmured, "What was that?"

"Mercy," she giggled.

"Hm," he paused thoughtfully, "for a bite of your ice cream, I _might_ be lenient."

"It's not ice cream!"

Danny rolled his eyes. "Fine. Yogurt."

"Nope!" she said, bouncing away from him and taking a bite of her yogurt teasingly. "Eat your own!"

"But mine isn't as tasty as yours," he sulked.

"You ordered the exact same thing! The only difference is who's eating it!"

"Exactly."

Mia bounded back over to him and slyly dipped her spoon into his dessert. She withdrew a spoonful and held it to his lips.

"Much better," he said around a mouthful.

She wrinkled her nose, "That's attractive."

"What, you don't like the way I eat?" he said, opening his still partly full mouth.

"Nope."

"That hurts me," he sighed dramatically.

"Good."

"Now who's mean?"

"Still you," she beamed, sticking her tongue out.

"You're lucky I like you so much or you'd be in big trouble," he replied, slipping his arm around her.

She stilled, but he pretended not to notice and they kept walking. Her mind was racing, and she was unsure whether to revel in his words or panic. _How do I respond? What should I_…

Danny stopped suddenly and turned her to face him.

"Wha?"

"I want another bite of yogurt," he announced.

Mia let out a nervous chuckle.

"Are you going to let me starve?" Danny asked petulantly, his eyes sparkling.

"Child," she replied even as she spooned him a bite of yogurt.

"Yum."

"You've got a bit of something right there," Mia laughed, pointing at his mouth. She reached up and gently wiped off the drop of yogurt with her thumb.

"Thank you." He caught hold of her hand and lightly pressed a kiss against her knuckles.

They walked together in silence, hand-in-hand, and Mia inwardly sighed at how safe she felt – despite the fact that she was strolling the streets of Chicago at night. A feeling she was sure had nothing to do with the three protective presences she knew were watching from somewhere.

"Did your father send men to watch you?" she wondered aloud as the thought struck her.

"Why? Are you planning to drag me into some dark alleyway?" he teased.

She didn't know why, well she did, but the joke bothered her and she couldn't bring herself to tease back. "Did he?" she reiterated.

"Probably," Danny shrugged nonchalantly, but his tone was serious now. "There are always people watching me. Did yours?"

"Yeah. There are three of them skulking around somewhere."

"Does it bother you that I brought guys?"

"I don't know," she responded honestly. "A little, I guess."

"I'm sorry," he apologized.

"Don't be. It's not like I don't have them too. It's just…," she trailed off.

"Just what?"

"Just," she twisted to look straight into his eyes. "Do you ever wish it was different? That we didn't need guys following us around and… I don't know," she lifted her shoulders helplessly.

"Of course I do. But, it is what it is."

"Yeah. I suppose it is," she sighed tiredly. "I just…I don't know how to feel about it all anymore." _This business…it's our past and our present and our future. But how can _we_ have a future amidst it all? Our families are allies today, but what about tomorrow? _

Neither of them needed to voice those unspoken thoughts which hung heavily between them.

"We don't have to be our fathers," he spoke quietly.

"Maybe. But we don't get to be ourselves either."

Danny didn't answer, just drew her in closer to him.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Super thanks to **Midaria**, the anonymous "ggg" (with their slightly threatening, but still endearing review), **AubreyCullen, **and **Sharpie-Marker1101** for their sweet reviews!! You guys totally got me through my writing block and kept me writing this fic :D Thanks to all my readers!! :D (sorry bout all the exclamations…but…:D)

The door to the penthouse suite swung open, and Adam grinned at them. "Hi, come on in," he waved them in. "Glad to see you two, Jesse was goin' mad thinking you guys weren't coming."

Jesse objected loudly, "Was not."

"Whatever you say man," Matt rolled his eyes.

The five of them were reclining in various positions around the room. Matt was seated comfortably on the ledge, reading, while Mickey was busy behind the bar. Jesse was perched on the edge of a snow-white couch in front of the television with James sitting on the coffee table a few feet away. Adam threw himself down on the other end of the couch and motioned for them to sit.

"Want a drink?" Adam offered, before hastily adding, "Non-alcoholic, of course."

Mia raised an eyebrow at this and whirled around to glance at Danny, who stared angelically down at her. She rolled her eyes at him, and he smirked.

"Sure. I'll take a coke," she said turning back to Adam.

"Diet?" Mickey asked and laughed at Mia's expression. "Not a fan?"

"Nope. Artificial sweeteners taste gross," she wrinkled her nose and ambled over to the bar. "Thanks," she smiled as she accepted the can.

"I can't remember the last time I've seen a girl drink non-diet soda," James remarked from across the room.

Mia winked and took a long swig. "I live to entertain."

James laughed. "And entertain you do."

"Anything for you?" Mickey directed to Danny.

"Water's fine."

Nodding, Mickey rummaged through the fridge and lobbed a bottle over to Danny, who nodded his thanks.

"Oh!" Mia exclaimed, and the boys looked inquisitively over at her. "I almost forgot about the yogurt!" she added as she padded over to Danny, who helpfully handed her the white paper bag.

"Ice cream," Danny supplied, seeing the uncertain expressions that accompanied this declaration.

"It's _yogurt_!" she complained, smacking him lightly on the arm. Taking the bag in hand, she walked over to the coffee table James was currently occupying. She stared meaningfully at him, and he sighed and moved to the couch. Mickey and Matt glanced at each other, and wandered over to the couch.

"Thanks," she grinned, as she set out the small containers. "Okay, everyone gets one of these," she handed them each a styrofoam container and spoon. Jesse pulled off the lid and sniffed experimentally at the contents, before shrugging and taking a bite.

"Hmm, not bad," Jesse gnawed thoughtfully on his spoon.

Mia laughed. "It's even better if you eat it with some of this," she said as she pulled off the lids of the toppings. Motioning for Jesse to hand her his yogurt, Mia rolled his eyes at his reluctance. "Jesse! I'll give it back," she promised

He pouted and took another bite before unwillingly passing her the container.

"Okay, so what do you want me to put on it?"

Jesse looked doubtfully at the little containers. "I dunno."

She shook her head at him, "Do you like strawberries?"

He nodded, and she spooned some of the diced strawberries onto his yogurt. "How about chocolate? Mango? Pineapple?"

Eyes brightening at the word pineapple, Jesse nodded vigorously. She chuckled to herself, and placed a large amount of pineapple, along with a small helping of mango to the side, and sprinkled a bit of chocolate on top of the whole mixture.

"Now try it," she urged, handing it back to him.

"Mmm," he chewed happily. "Really good," he said enthusiastically through a full mouth.

"Say it, don't spray it," Adam groaned.

"So, who's next?" Mia grinned as they all pushed each other impatiently to hand her their yogurt.

**

Half an hour later, with the yogurt all gone – including the several extra servings she had ordered in anticipation – and most of the toppings reduced to empty containers, Mia sighed contentedly. The second yogurt had been as good as the first, although in her defense she had fed Danny at least half of it.

She giggled in remembrance of how the boys had fallen over themselves to convince her to let them have another – before they had realized she had enough for seconds, for everyone. For all their fame, boys were clearly always going to be boys. Growing up in a house full of boys, she had quickly learned to _always_ have seconds, if not thirds, of everything on hand.

Jesse jumped up abruptly from his seat to the left of her, and Mia lifted her head curiously from its comfortable position on Danny's shoulder as he started bouncing eagerly up and down.

"Good god, you're like a bloody puppy," James groaned.

"A retarded puppy," Matt added.

He pouted for a moment, before the sugar rush re-caught up with him and he resumed his enthusiastic hopping. "Let's play Guitar Hero!"

Mia flinched as all of the other boys swiftly sat up. "What the…" she stared incredulously as they all hurried about, picking up and plugging things into the television.

Thrusting a guitar in her face, Jesse smiled sweetly, "Ladies first."

She shook her head, "No thanks."

He waved the guitar insistently.

"No, really. It's okay, I'm really not musically inclined."

"That's putting it mildly," Danny snorted.

Mia glowered at him, "Butthead."

"What? It's the truth!" he said defensively.

"So?" she pouted. "You're not allowed to agree with me on that!"

Seeing no apology forthcoming, she grabbed the outstretched guitar and muttered, "I'll show you."

"No. Don't," Danny laughed. "I'm sorry," he reached for her. Mia squirmed out of his grasp.

"Okay. How do you work this thing again?" she asked Jesse who was hovering excitedly near the television.

He vaulted over James, who was sitting peaceably on the floor, and stepped behind her. Positioning her hands, he instructed, "Okay, you just click the button that's the same color as the one you see on the screen and hit this tab thingy." Jesse chose a song, and demonstrated and Mia felt uneasily close to him. "See! It's easy."

Fumbling with the buttons, Mia tried to replicate what Jesse had just done. She winced as she failed.

Matt smiled reassuringly, "Don't worry, the idiot just put you on a really hard starting song." He grabbed the other guitar and clicked too rapidly for her to follow. "Here, try this one."

She stared determinedly at the screen, and clicked at the buttons, cheering when a few matched up. Spinning around, Mia glared at the sound of Danny's muffled laughter, before turning back to the screen.

James pushed Jesse out of the way, "Psh, that's what happens when you go to a keyboardist. Let a real musician show you."

"What? I'm a very good teacher," Jesse griped.

"Okay. Whatever," James said dismissively, as he covered her hands with his and restarted the game. "Just feel the beat," he directed as he lightly pressed on her fingers. _He's really close to me,_ Mia thought uncomfortably. _Why isn't Danny upset?_ She snuck a peek back at him. He had stopped laughing but seemed unconcerned by what was happening in front of him. _Or is he? s_he mused. _Wow, I'm actually getting it!_ James still stood a bit too close for comfort, but he had retracted his hands – which meant she was actually playing, and not all that badly either. Grinning triumphantly, she faltered as a barrage of notes suddenly appeared.

"Oh, crap," she winced as she returned to missing notes. James leaned forward to replace his hands on her, but the song thankfully ended.

"You've almost got it," James said encouragingly, "Wanna try again."

Mia grimaced, "No thanks. I think I make a better audience member."

"Oh come on," Jesse wheedled.

She shook her head with a rueful grin, "I'm good."

"If you're sure," James said doubtfully.

"Yes," she reassured him, and sat back down beside Danny. "But thanks for teaching me," she added.

"No prob," James and Jesse replied together. They glared at each other and said in unison, "I'm the better teacher."

"No, I am," they exclaimed at once.

"Stop it," they protested.

"You stop it," they accused.

"Okay, I'll stop it," Adam jumped in. "Seriously, that whole talking as one is starting to freak me out." The rest of them nodded in agreement. "Why don't you just play each other and see who's better."

Mia looked over at Danny as Adam sorted the two of them out. _Why isn't he saying anything? Is he mad at me?_

Feeling her stare, he turned to face her a moment later. She gazed apprehensively at his impassive expression, and he sighed before slipping an arm around her. Snuggling against him, she smiled as he whispered, "I'm sorry for teasing you."

"I'm…"

He placed a hand over her mouth. "Don't apologize," he said in response to her unfinished sentence. "I'll just have to teach you how to _really_ play later," he grinned impishly.

A/N: Read and review? Please? :D


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Thanks so much to all my loyal readers! Sorry about the wait! Hope you enjoy :D Oh and if you want updates about my stories (or the occasional sneak peek!) follow me on Twitter **roralee**.

Mia shivered as they strode out into the cool, summer night. Slipping off his jacket, Danny draped it over her shoulders as he waited for the valet.

"Thanks," she sighed as the car pulled up.

Danny led Mia over to the passenger door, tipping the valet after he effortlessly caught the tossed keys. He opened the car door for her, and she smiled her thanks as she stepped into the car.

"That was fun," Mia commented as they pulled out of the hotel. She leaned back against the seat and closed her eyes.

After a few rounds of guitar hero – during which Matt had been dubbed the supreme winner, to the great consternation of Jesse – they had all relaxed against the squashy couch. Light conversation flowed easily, and Mia had soon felt her eyes growing heavy. Danny, seeing this, had made their farewells while Mia waved sleepily at the band.

"And it was nice of them to ask us to hang out with them the next time they're in town," she added drowsily.

"Mmhmm," Danny replied blandly. "I suppose I can't blame them for wanting to spend more time with you." Receiving no response, he glanced over at her, and smiled softly to see her dozing lightly. He reached out and tenderly brushed a wisp of hair out of her face before turning back to the road.

They arrived at the gate of her house a while later, and Danny gently nudged her awake. She blinked dazedly for a moment before reorienting herself and waved tiredly at Jamie, who inclined his head respectfully to her and opened the gates for them. By the time they pulled in front of her house, Mia was fully awake and more than a little embarrassed at having fallen asleep.

Grinning sheepishly, Mia looked over at Danny who looked distracted. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes. No. I just," he shook his head, and seemingly changing his mind, settled for asking instead, "Is your father going to be upset that I'm bringing you home so late?"

The black digits on his dashboard flashed _2:03_.

While her father probably wouldn't be pleased, she doubted he'd be mad. She didn't have an official curfew – something she had a strong suspicion that was about to change. "No. I don't think so. Is that all you were worried about?" she prodded.

Danny nodded and turned off the engine. He walked around the car and opened her door, and she thanked him. They walked up the stairs and Mia paused uncertainly. She leaned forward and hugged him, and as she pulled away, said softly, "Thank you, Danny. Tonight was perfect."

She reached to open the door, when Danny seized her free hand and spun her into his arms. His lips brushed against hers, delicately at first, and then more insistently and passionately.

Breaking the kiss, he smiled down at her, "I really like you Mia." He moved forward to kiss her again, and she reluctantly stepped away from him.

"I'm sorry, but I think we need to talk before anything else happens," she said.

Danny stilled, but dipped his head in agreement. "No, you're right. Mia, I know haven't done everything exactly right," he began earnestly, "but now that I know we're on the same page, I swear I'll do it all. I'll go and ask your father and brothers for permission, and make this a formal courtship, and introduce you to my…"

"Danny," Mia interrupted him. "Danny, wait."

She took a deep breath, "Danny, I like you too. But I made a promise to my father." Pausing, she stared up at him, before continuing, "I told him that I'd respect his wishes, and we'd just be friends until the end of the summer."

"The end of the summer?" he repeated hopefully.

Mia nodded. "If we still want this at the end of the summer, he'll let us."

Breaking into a wide grin, Danny let out a sigh of relief. "Thank god. I thought you were going to say he's forbidding you from seeing me."

"You're okay with this? With waiting three whole months?" Mia asked hesitantly.

"Mia," he cradled her face in his hands. "Mia, ever since you walked into my eighteenth birthday party in that gorgeous green dress, I haven't been able to think of anyone else. I never dreamed you – or your father – would ever let me date you. Of course, I'll wait for you. I've waited two years, and I'll wait as many more as I have to if it means in the end that I get you."

She gazed at him in disbelief. "Danny. I… You're unbelievable."

"I'm nothing compared to you," he said, pulling her into a tight embrace.

Grudgingly, she broke the hug a few moments later. "I should probably go in."

He nodded unwillingly. "Yeah, you're probably right."

"Good night Danny," she unlocked the door, and stepped inside.

"Good night Mia," he whispered sweetly, and she smiled softly and shut the door behind her.

Danny stood there a moment longer, and then –a silly grin on his face – he strolled back to his car, whistling contentedly all the while .

**

Michael Corleone was not the in habit of spying on his children. But when Jamie had called him asking for permission to let Danny into the compound, Michael had found himself marching over to the front door to ensure nothing untoward happened to his daughter.

The two of them had strolled up the stairs of the front porch and Michael had been relieved – but definitely not pleased – to see Mia hug him and move to head inside. That had been short lived, however. When he saw Danny yank his little girl in for a kiss, Michael had _almost_ thrown open the door. But, in the end rationality won over and he resisted the urge to beat the crap out of the kid.

Of course, when Danny went in for a second kiss, that rationality – and him – _almost _went out the door. Almost, but he had seen Mia push him away and so he restrained himself.

Again.

Words passed between the two of them and Michael breathed a deep sigh of relief when Mia finally parted from Danny. He watched the front door expectantly, and waited for her to recognize his presence when she finally entered.

**

Mia closed the door behind her and then collapsed heavily against it. "Oh my god," she whispered to herself. She took a breath to calm herself and stood up. Grinning, in what she was sure was an idiotic fashion, she strode toward the staircase and hesitated on the first stair.

She pivoted slowly to her left and nearly jumped out of her skin as her father stepped out of the shadows.

"Jesus Christ," she muttered, "you scared the crap out of me."

"A little late, isn't it?" he remarked mildly.

"Sorry daddy, I'll try to get home earlier next time."

"You'll do more than try."

"Okay," she moved to go up the stairs, and then stopped again. "Were you _spying_ on me?"

Michael raised an eyebrow, but Mia refused to cowed. She asked him again, more adamantly this time, "Were you?"

"And if I was?"

"I'd be pissed," she replied evenly.

"That's unfortunate."

"Daddy," she snapped.

"Don't use that tone of voice with me," he said sharply.

"Then don't avoid the question," she answered tightly.

Silence descended and Mia could almost feel the moments ticking by.

"I'm sorry for being rude," she muttered.

"Apology accepted. You should go to bed and get some sleep," he ordered, "You can tell me about your night tomorrow."

Mia blinked as he walked away, effectively ending any further argument. She sighed resignedly to herself and made her way up the stairs.

A/N: Read and review? Please? :D


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